Austin Peay State University Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) men’s tennis team travels to Eastern Illinois for its final road match of the season, 10:00am, Friday, April 12th.
The Governors (5-13, 1-2 OVC) had a rough time in their last outing, falling 7-0 at home to Tennessee Tech, the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions.
The Govs will rely heavily on the duo of Timo Kiesslich and Christian Edison in doubles. Together, the pair has won four straight matches and is unbeaten in conference play.
Despite being only 1-2 in conference play, the Govs still have an opportunity to finish in the top half of the standings. A win would improve their record to 2-2 in the OVC, with only Belmont (likely to be 3-1 after this weekend) remaining.
A win against the Bruins would more than likely mean a top three placing heading into the OVC Tournament. The Govs need a lot to happen if they want any chance at a bye, which the top two teams in the standings receive, namely winning out and having Tennessee Tech lose out.
About the Eastern Illinois Panthers
The Panthers (13-13, 1-3 OVC) have a large amount of tennis under their belt this season. EIU has some decent wins in non-conference play, defeating Saint Louis and Wright State, but have lost all matches to the current top three in the OVC (Jacksonville State, Belmont, Tennessee Tech). The Panthers are riding a two-match win streak, defeating Tennessee State for their first OVC win and then Martin Methodist in non-conference action.
The Govs have not lost to the Panthers since the 2008-09 season, winning nine straight matches. Last season, the Govs defeated the Panthers by a 5-2 score in Clarksville. Aleh Drobysh won in singles and doubles for the Govs, with Edison, Kiesslich, and Jacob Lorino all picking up singles wins as well.
The player to watch for the Panthers is Freddie O’Brien. O’Brien has a solid 15-7 singles mark this spring, all at the No. 1 position. He has won his last four singles matches as well. O’Brien boasts an impressive 17-2 doubles record, including a 12-0 mark at the No. 3 spot with Logan Charbonneau. O’Brien is poised to meet APSU senior Almantas Ozelis in singles and doubles once again. Last season, O’Brien claimed a three-set win over Ozelis.
Due to potential weather, the match may be moved from Charleston, Ill. to Champaign, IL. As a result, the match would be treated as a neutral site match. Stay tuned to @AustinPeayMTN on Twitter for all the latest updates.
